With September almost here, teams around the NHL will soon start signing to players to professional tryout (PTO) agreements.
When looking at free agents left who the Montreal Canadiens should consider signing to a PTO, forward Eeli Tolvanen stands out.
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The Canadiens could use another top-nine winger, and Tolvanen has shown during his career that he can be just that. During this past season with the Seattle Kraken, the 27-year-old winger recorded 12 goals, 36 points, and 187 hits. This was after he scored a career-high 23 goals and recorded 35 points in 81 games with Seattle during the 2024-25 season. He also finished that season with 237 hits.
With numbers like these, Tolvanen would be a very intriguing player for the Canadiens to invite to their training camp on a PTO. In fact, one could argue that it would even make sense for the Canadiens to sign him to a short-term deal without a PTO.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens make a push for Tolvanen. He could be a nice addition to their roster if they signed him for the season.
In 423 career NHL games over eight seasons, Tolvanen has posted 92 goals, 98 assists, 190 points, and 985 hits.
